The Institute of Physics (IOP) has launched a comprehensive new online education destination www.iop.org/spark for every aspect of teaching pre-19 physics.
Designed as a go-to resource for teachers, teacher trainers and school technicians alike, the new site features over 2000 free, IOP-approved education resources including lesson plans, experiment ideas, teacher notes and student worksheets.
All resources on the site have been tried and tested by physics teachers and many feature teacher tips on delivery as well as links to carefully selected further reading.
Simple navigation ensures that resources are easy to find with content searchable by student age, physics topic or type of activity. To make the site even more valuable as a time-saving way of enhancing lesson planning, resources are linked in ways that help users find related materials and navigate through sequences of activities.
Charles Tracy, head of education at the Institute of Physics commented: “Teaching physics today is hugely rewarding. However it can be daunting to teach something new or to teach something familiar in a new way. We know it’s also challenging for teachers to stay constantly abreast of the latest resources, news and content, particularly when teaching and lesson planning means time is limited.
Teaching physics today is hugely rewarding. However it can be daunting to teach something new or to teach something familiar in a new way.
– Charles Tracy, Institute of Physics
“Our hope is that the new IOPSpark site will provide teachers with a trusted source of ideas and professional learning, whether they are looking for a quick fix or pedagogical contemplation. Some of the site’s resources are ready to use whilst others will allow users to delve a bit deeper and explore the best ways to present those ideas and develop their own explanations.”
As well as featuring a rich seam of teaching resources, the site will provide teachers with:
- CPD content including articles on developing professional skills
- A brand new and constantly updated glossary of physics terms
- Access to TalkPhysics – an online community in which physics teachers can share best practice and ask questions
- The latest news, research and video content to help bring lessons to life
An innovative area of the site will also be dedicated to helping teachers identify and address common student misconceptions in physics.
Alessio Bernardelli, professional practice coach at CollaboratEd, commented: “It’s great that the very best of what the IOP has access to has been curated into easily navigable collections. It can be time consuming to look through other sites and sift through what is worth using. Here you know you’re getting quality.”
To discover the thousands of free physics resources available log on to www.iop.org/spark today.